Nature provides a pattern of complex systems in which materials with vastly dissimilar properties grow together and function in close proximity. Although the gap between biological and existing AM systems cannot be overstated, the aspiration for AM to mimic this capability of nature has been widely admired (but is currently limited to multi-material parts made from families of like materials). The recent ASTM F2921 standard provides the first standardized framework to identify anisotropic properties of printed parts. This research highlights how understanding and quantifying the anisotropies between and within layers of printed parts provides foundational understanding to begin to emulate nature’s pattern by consolidating dissimilar multi-material parts in AM which promises future potential to supersede conventional part assembly with integral printed systems.

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This work draws on research undertaken in projects with funding from a variety of sources which is gratefully acknowledged including: The UK Technology Strategy Board funded project Laser Printed Electronics, the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, and European Union FP6 funded project Custom-fit.